20110311 - iPad 2 available in the USA, first contact at the Apple Store in Palo Alto and first impressions posted on page 3.

iPad 1 launched in 2010

An iPad will be a challenge on the road without the proper mount !

iPad 3G/32 has come in for testing ![center]

The Apple web page lists "Assisted GPS (Wi-Fi + 3G model)". Do you guys think GPS applications will be popular with the forthcoming Apple iPad? It is going to be too big for many, but perhaps trucks, buses, and motor home drivers would like GPS functionality on a device this big.

One clarification. GPS is only included in the models which have both WiFi and 3G data. The plus sign is somehwat ambiguous in the web quote.

My guess is that GPS on this device will be all about location awareness tied to lots of functions but not turn-by-turn road navigation, except for pedestrians. Put another way, Apple wants the iPad to now where =it= is so that content can be tailored to that info.

Yes, location awareness is going to be a "must" for app developers, but WiFi might be enough, it's down to 100 meters in urban areas.

As for turn by turn navigation, it does seem "challenging" with the 10" screen, but you do have people currently navigating with latops, so ;-)

Going back to the iPad in itself, it's going to be interesting to see how well it does. The hardware is obviously better than it was in 2000 and the "ecosystem" is there, but the concept is not very different from the "Internet Appliances" launched in 2000/2001 with an alternative OS like BeIA or QNX. Actually Microsoft gave it a shot in 2002 with the [ur="http://www.pencomputing.com/frames/mira.html"]Mira[/url] ! None of them generated enough interest to survive.

The same vague "Assisted GPS" description is used for the iPhone 3G/3Gs, so I would assume there is at least a GPS chipset and not just WiFi for location. 10 inches seems a bit excessive for most turn by turn navigation, but it would be nice to be able to plan a route on the big screen of the iPad and then send it to the iPhone for in-car use.

The ipad is even bigger than the AVMAP EKP-IV http://www.airplanegear.com/avmap-ekp-iv.htmBut it would provide a really nice BIG display for aviation use, if you could get a suitable mount and software. All we need is for a group like these guys http://www.pocketfms.com/ to develop software for the iphone/ipad (they have previously said they wouldn't).

Ohyeah - you would need a proper GPS chip that doesn't rely on cellphone coverage for aviation use too.

I don't know why this bit of misinformation persists. The chip in the iPad is "real" GPS, not something that relies on WiFi or the cell network (and even that function, which I have on my first gen iPhone, is incorrectly called "triangulation" -- it does no such thing).

Perhaps the source of confusion is that only the 3G cell-radio equipped model will come with GPS. But other than that there is no connection.

Yes, shouldn't be any different than the setup on most of the smartphones on the market with a full GPS chip that can get assistance from the network to speed up acquisition but it will work without it.

Just bumped into this article on cnet : Maps for iPad hands-on. Apparently the "Map" app is a bot refined than on the iPhone as it adds Google's "terrain view". Hopefully that will be added to the iPhone too.

Well I haven't used it yet. I am fully excited regarding my ipad. I had just ordered it and they said that my ipad is in transit. Regarding GPS I think it will be something totally new with such a big screen.